Crucial consultations held in Moscow ahead of Putin's December visit to India

Moscow/New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) New Delhi and Moscow are actively preparing for the Russian President Vladimir Putin's planned visit to India in December to attend the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, the Russian media quoted Deputy National Security Advisor Pawan Kapoor as saying.

"We are currently preparing for President Vladimir Putin's visit to India in December. We meet regularly bilaterally and on the sidelines of international events," Kapoor was quoted as saying by Russia's state-owned news agency Tass following the Russian-Indian consultations on regional issues held in Moscow on Tuesday.

The much-awaited visit is likely to take place in the first week of December.

India's Deputy NSA pointed that relations between both countries remain deep and consistent with interactions taking place at the highest levels.

He highlighted National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's visit to Moscow in August and meeting with the Russian head of state and Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar then met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York recently on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Prime Minister Modi also held a bilateral meeting with the Russian President on the sidelines of SCO Summit last month, citing that the close cooperation of both nations is important for the peace, prosperity and stability in the world.

During their meeting, PM Modi said that 1.40 crore Indians are "eagerly waiting" for the Russian President's arrival for the 23rd India-Russia Summit in December.

"This is the definition of our deep, 'special and privileged strategic partnership'," PM Modi had said.

Highlighting the strong bilateral relations between the two nations, he said, "In the most difficult times also, India and Russia have always walked shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. Our close cooperation is not only important for the people of both countries but also for the peace, prosperity and stability in the world."

On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, PM Modi said that India welcomes all the recent efforts in the direction of resolving the conflict.

"We hope that all the involved parties will proceed further constructively. We will have to figure out ways to end the conflict as soon as possible to restore the regional stability and peace. This is the call of the entire humanity," PM Modi added.

Earlier, both leaders had boarded the same car to the venue of the bilateral meeting.

In his opening remarks at the SCO Summit, Putin said that he highly valued the contributions of India and other strategic partners in facilitating a resolution to the Ukraine conflict.

"We highly value the efforts and proposals of China, India and our other strategic partners, aimed at facilitating the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis," Putin said, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

--IANS

/as